IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 538 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National 

Adoption Month by promoting awareness of adoption and the children 

in foster care awaiting families, celebrating children and families involved 

in adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts designed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in the United States to seek 

improved safety, permanency, and well-being for all children. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2015 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. 

TAKANO, Mr. POCAN, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. 

DEGETTE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. HONDA, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Ms. 

NORTON, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Ms. LEE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day 

and National Adoption Month by promoting awareness 

of adoption and the children in foster care awaiting 

families, celebrating children and families involved in 

adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts designed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in 

the United States to seek improved safety, permanency, 

and well-being for all children. 

Whereas more than 400,000 children are currently in the foster care system in the United States, and more than 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 538 IH 

100,000 children in the foster care system are waiting for 

families to adopt them; 

Whereas more than 23,000 young people age out of the foster 

care system each year before finding a permanent family; 

Whereas every day loving and nurturing families are 

strengthened and expanded when committed and dedicated parents make an important difference in the life of 

a child through adoption; 

Whereas inclusive policies that promote adoption increase the 

opportunities for loving parents to adopt from within the 

foster care system; 

Whereas 2,000,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

people are interested in adopting but discriminatory law, 

policies, and practices are restricting their ability to do 

so; 

Whereas in order to open more homes to foster children, child 

welfare agencies should work to eliminate sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status discrimination 

and bias in adoption and foster care recruitment, selection, and placement procedures; 

Whereas professional organizations in the fields of medicine, 

psychology, law, and child welfare have taken official positions in support of the ability of qualified lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, and unmarried couples to foster and adopt a 

child, as supported by scientific research showing sexual 

orientation as a nondeterminative factor in parental success; 

Whereas discrimination against potential foster or adoptive 

parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or 

marital status is not in the best interests of children in 

the foster care system; 


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•HRES 538 IH 

Whereas 71 percent of those parents who have considered 

adoption consider adopting children from foster care 

above other forms of adoption; 

Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort 

to find permanent, loving families for children in the foster care system; 

Whereas National Adoption Month serves as a way to focus 

public attention on the urgent need for adoptive families 

for children and youth waiting in foster care for a permanent family; and 

Whereas November 2015 is National Adoption Month and 

November 21, 2015, is National Adoption Day: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Adoption Day and National Adoption Month; 

4 (2) recognizes that every child in foster care de5 serves a permanent and loving family; 

6 (3) encourages the implementation of inclusive 

7 adoption policies that allow a growing number of di8 verse families to adopt; and 

9 (4) encourages the citizens of the United States 

10 to consider adoption of children in foster care who 

11 are waiting for a permanent, loving family. 

Æ 


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